Groups hail reintroduction of Health for All Act (SB 4)

December 1, 2014
HEALTH4ALL

For Immediate Release: December 1, 2014

Contact: Jeff Brewer (213) 700-6276

Today, on the heels of Senator Ricardo Lara’s reintroduction of the Health for All Act, a broad coalition of immigrant rights and health organizations (see list below) issued the following statement:

Today, we celebrate the reintroduction of the Health for All Act and reconfirm our deep commitment to the promise this historic bill represents. We are more inspired, energized, and determined than ever to make Health for All a reality for each and every Californian this coming year.

In the last few months, many immigrant community members have stood up and spoken out, sharing wrenching stories of lives lost too soon due to Congress’ unjust exclusion of undocumented community members from health care.

We believe that no one should suffer or die from a treatable condition, no matter where they were born. We’re all in this together, and we’re all healthier when all are covered.

The Health for All Act is the logical next step to build upon California’s powerful leadership in passing welcoming, inclusive policies.

Senator Lara, the bill’s author, commented in a statement:

Access to health care is a human rights issue and until everyone is included, our job is unfinished. I look forward to working with a broad, diverse statewide coalition to achieve the goal of health for all in the coming year.

Signatories to the statement above include: Alliance for Boys and Men of Color, Asian Americans Advancing Justice-LA, ASPIRE, California Coverage & Health Initiatives, California Immigrant Policy Center (CIPC), California Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance (CIYJA), California Labor Federation, California Latinas for Reproductive Justice, California Pan-Ethnic Health Network (CPEHN), California Partnership (CAP), California Primary Care Association, California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation, Children Now, Children’s Defense Fund-California, Clinica Monsenor Oscar A. Romero, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), Educators for Fair Consideration, Fresno Barrios Unidos, Fresno Immigrant Youth in Action, Health Access California, Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC), National Immigration Law Center, Physicians for a National Health Program-California, PICO California, PolicyLink, Sacramento Covered, SEIU California, The Children’s Partnership, The Greenlining Institute, Western Center on Law & Poverty, Young Invincibles.

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